Safety-valve for beer-casks



(No Model.)

J. 0. SGHABFER. SAFETY VALVE FOR BEER GASKS. No. 576,162. Patented Feb.2, 1897;

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JOHNO. SOHAEFER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'TO \VILLIAM BUROK- HARDT,OF SAME PLACE, AND THE EASTVOOD WIRE MANUFACTURING OOHPANY, OFBELLEVILLE, NE\V JERSEY.

SAFETY-VALVE FOR BEER-CASKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,162, dated February2, 1897.

A li ation filed November 16, 1895. Serial No. 569,144. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN C. SCHAEFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety-Valves for Beer-Casks, of which-the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a 1o safety-valve for shavingsor finishing-oasks 2 5 devices and combinations of devices hereinaftermore fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a vertical section of the entire apparatus, and Fig. 2 is anelevation of a detail of part of the pressure-regulating device.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A is a stem having a screw-threadedportion adapt- 3 5 ed to be screwed into the harm-chamber B or directlyinto the beer-cask, as desired. This stem is provided with two passagesa a, connecting, respectively, with the two chambers a? a The passage ais preferably provided with a stop-cockA', the object of which will behereinafter explained. The chambers a a are provided with screw-plugs bto give access to the chambers and permit of their being cleaned. Atoneend of the chamber a is an opening 0, over which is placed a dia phragmU, which operates a plunger 0. The plunger 0 is contained within a cap 0which is secured to the body of the valve by screws, as shown, with thediaphragm clamped between the body of the valve and the cap 0 This caphas a tubular extension a within which the stem of the plunger works,and this stem is surrounded by a spiral spring 0 A cylindrical capprovided with a circular opening at the top, through which the stem ofthe plunger passes, is screwed over the tubular extension 0 The spring 0is seated between the shoulders of the plunger and the cap e Theshoulders c are preferably formed by making the lower part of the stemof-the plunger square in cross-section, which also reduces the frictionwithin the tubular extension 0 The diaphragm-plunger with its operatingparts, just described, controlsthe action of the relief-valve located atthe other end of the chamber 0 The relief-valve consists of aspring-pressed valve D, working within a chamber formed by the circularextension 01. The valve D is carried by a stem which has a bearingwithin a cylindrical cap d, screwed into a circular extension cl. Thevalve D is preferably provided with a rubber disk (1 screwed to thevalve bya screw-rin g d. The valve D is held to its seat d by a spiralspring 01 which is seated between the cap d and the shoulders formed bythe ribs (1 of the valve-stem. The valve-stem is preferably providedwith ribs d to reduce the surface of the stem, and hence reduce frictionbetween it and the cap d. The upper end of the valve-stem, which worksthrough the opening in the cap 01, is also provided with ribs similar tothe ribs d to reduce friction at that point. When the relief-valve isopened by the action'of the diaphragm O, the gases escape throughopenings (1 formed in the circular extension d. The upper end ofthevalve-stemis slotted, as shown, and through this slot passes a lever E,which is pivoted at e on the upright tubular extension F, leading fromthe chamber a An adj listing-screw e is screwedinto the upper end of thevalve-stem to avoid lost motion of the lever E. This adj usting-screw isnecessary, since the position of the leverE 5 -will. vary slightly,according to the normal pressure for which the valve is set. The lever Erests upon the upper end of the plunger 0, so that when the plunger israised by the pressure of the gas the valve D is raised 10o against thepressure of its spring, and when the pressure is reduced to the desiredpoint by the escape of gas through openings (1 the valve D and diaphragmG will return to their normal positions by the action of their springs.

The tubular extension F is preferably L- shaped, and the short arm ofthe L is provided Withastop-cock F. The object of this extension and itsconnection with the main stem of the apparatus is to permit the foreingof compressed air through the passage a into the cask after the beer hasreached the proper stage in the finishing process. The stop-cock A inthe main stem is provided in order that the chamber a may be out offfrom the apparatus while the air is being forced into the cask.

As before stated, the relief-valve is controlled by the diaphragm C, andto adjust the diaphragm for various pressures I employ a ring G, whichis carried by the tubular cap This ring is provided with a set-screw g,which enters a circular groove g in the cap 0 and ring G is providedwith a series of holes or notches 9 over which notches are placednumerals representing the pressures for which the valve may be adjusted.When the apparatus is set for a certain pressure, say, for instance,eight pounds, and screwring G is moved around until the figure S isopposite the thumb-screw g and the thumbscrew is then screwed inward toengage the ring and prevent its further rotation, the set-screw g isthen screwed inward to firmly clamp the ring to the cap 0 This is theinitial adjustment of the apparatus, and should it be desired to adjustthe apparatus for a different pressure it is only necessary to disengagethe thumbscrew g and rotate the cap 0 to the desired point and then lockthe same again by the thumb-screw g The harm-chamber may be of anydesired shape, it being illustrated in the drawings as square incross-section and provided with a screw-threaded extension adapted to bescrewed into a cask. Surrounding the inlet is a preferably cone-shapedwall, which prevents the barm flowing back into the cask. This chamberis also provided with screwplugs to permit the cleaning of the chamber.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows: Vhen the safety-valve isplaced in position upon a cask or upon the barm-chamher, the initialadjustment is first obtained by adjusting cap 0 upon the extension a sothat the usual pressure-gage registers, for instance, eight pounds. Thering G is then rotated on the cap 0 until the figure S is opposite thethumb-screw The thumb-screw is then brought into engagement with thering to lock the same, and the set-screw g is then screwed up tightly tolock the ring Gto the cap 0 It now it is desired to adjust the apparatusfor any other pressure, say ten pounds, the ring G is released bywithdrawing the thumb-screw g and cap 0 is rotated until the notch gwith the number 10 is opposite the thumb-screw g whereupon thethumb-screw is again brought into engagement with the ring G. Theapparatus being now set for a ten-pound pressure, the reliefvalve willremain closed until the pressure rises above ten pounds, whereupon thediaphragm will be raised and through it and the lever E the relief-valvewill be raised, allowing the gas to blow off until the pressure falls toten pounds again, whereupon the springs will return the diaphragm andrelief-valve to the normal positions.

What I claim is 1. In safety-valves for beer-casks, the com.- binationwith a relief-valve, of a diaphragm and plunger operated by the pressureof the gas within the cask for opening said valve, and means foradjusting said diaphragm and plunger for various pressures, said meansconsisting of a spring seated between the plunger and a cap, a graduatedloose ring carried by said cap and adapted to be clamped thereto, and aset-screw for locking said ring and cap in position, substantially asset forth.

2. In asafety-valve for beer-casks, the combination with a relief-valve,of a lever operatively connected with the stem of said valve, adiaphragm and cooperating rod engaging with said lever and actuated bythe pressure within the cask to open the relief-valve, a spring tendingto hold the relief-valve to its seat, a spring for the diaphragm-rod,which spring is seated between a shoulder on said rod and an adjustablecap through which said rod projects, said cap being provided withgraduation-marks indicating the different pressures for which the valvemay be set, and means for locking said cap in its adjusted position,substantially as set forth.

3. In a safety-valve for beer-casks, the combination with arelief-valve, of a lever opera tively connected with the stem of saidvalve, a diaphragm and cooperating rod engaging with said lever andactuated by the pressure within the cask to open the relief-valve, aspring tending to hold the relief-valve to its seat, a spring for thediaphragm-rod, which spring is seated between a shoulder on said rod andan adjustable cap through which said rod projects, an adjustable ring onsaid cap provided with graduation-marks, and means for locking said ringand said cap in their adjusted positions, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of November, 1895.

JOHN C. SOIIAEFER. Vitnesses:

EUGENE CONRAN, W. PELZER.

